3/4 of doctors believe in God...

[Nova Andromeda]

Article found here (emphasis mine):

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The majority of doctors believe in God and attend religious services, and more than half say their religious beliefs affect how they practice medicine, according to new survey results.

Study author Dr. Farr A. Curlin of the University of Chicago in Illinois said he was "surprised" at the findings, given that previous studies have shown that scientists are less religious than the general population, and religious beliefs tend to diminish as education and income levels increase.

However, the field of medicine involves caring for others, and therefore may attract spiritual people, Curlin said. "Medicine, at its core, is a moral practice," he noted.

For the study, Curlin and his colleagues mailed surveys about religious beliefs to 2,000 doctors practicing in the U.S. Sixty-three percent of doctors returned the survey.

Seventy-six percent said they believed in God, and 90 percent attended religious services at least sometimes, similar to rates reported by the general population. Fifty-five percent of respondents said that their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine, the researchers note in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Doctors were more likely than people in the general population to say they are spiritual but not religious, and to make decisions without relying on God, the survey found.

In an interview, Curlin said he suspected that religious beliefs may influence doctors when they encounter issues related to sexual and reproductive health, and when treating patients who are facing death, such as in end-of-life care.

In addition, doctors who are religious may respond differently to people who are depressed, or dealing with chronic pain, "if they make sense of that human experience in religious terms," Curlin suggested.

He added that he and his colleagues are currently investigating how doctors' religious beliefs may be influencing their practice.

SOURCE: Journal of General Internal Medicine, July 2005.

--Why does this not surprise me....

[Lord of the Farce]

They have a sample size of 2000, or 1260 if you only include those who responded, out of how many doctors in total? What was the sampling criteria? What about proportion of respondents to region?

Regardless, the fact that 55% - or 35% of the total number of doctors who they had sent the survey to - "said that their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine"...

[mr friendly guy]

I wonder if they are religious prior to becoming a doctor, and already planned to practice medicine in such a manner. I know when I was a medical student that a lot of my colleagues were religious, some already had strong views on things like abortion and homosexuality (and not in a good way either). Of course the article applies to doctors in the US, and I am uncertain how that would translate over here.

[Axis Kast]

Couldn't this be the result of some doctors thinking, "I am God-fearing, and I like to help people because it's the religiously correct thing to do; therefore, it influences my practice"?

Must it mean that these doctors advise patients against abortions in all cases, or that they discourage stem cell research and the like?

[The Kernel]

Couldn't this be the result of some doctors thinking, "I am God-fearing, and I like to help people because it's the religiously correct thing to do; therefore, it influences my practice"?

No, because that already falls under the Hippocratic Oath. Besides, if religiously influenced doctors were more likely to do everything to help their patients as you suggest, wouldn't they be the ones pushing treatments like medicinal marijuana and stem cell research instead of fighting against them like all the rest of heavily religious people? If that's the case, then it's the first I've ever heard of it.

Must it mean that these doctors advise patients against abortions in all cases, or that they discourage stem cell research and the like?

No, but it's a strong possibilty.

[Lord of the Abyss]

In addition, doctors who are religious may respond differently to people who are depressed, or dealing with chronic pain, "if they make sense of that human experience in religious terms," Curlin suggested.

Does this mean that these doctors will make me suffer more for my own good ? The Pope said something about the virtue of suffering before he died, I believe.

Since I'm an atheist, will they look at me as expendable, or keep me alive and in pain so they can convert me and "save my soul" ?

I wish this study was a little more specific.

[Ace Pace]

Dosn't suprise me at all, ancedotal but over 75% of the doctors I've seen in Israel have been religious.

[Zero]

They have to actually be reasonably intelligent just to become doctors. You don't have to be a dumbfuck fundy to believe in god, you know. You don't have to believe in abortion or anything of the sort, either. The article basically just means that most doctors have some sort of spirituality, which makes sense. In their line of work, you may end up seeing people die fairly often, and some kind of spirituality can be a good crutch, a point of reference by which the end of life isn't so terrible. Honestly, if they were as ignorant as most fundies, they wouldn't be able to become doctors.

As for the comment saying that it affects the way they practice medicine... I think you're reading WAY too much into that. It doesn't mean that they practice faith healing, or discourage all procedures that the pope doesn't like. It may just mean that they got into the practice because of some notion of a diety, maybe felt that it was what God called them to do. I definately dont think it's as bad as some of you have seemed to think...

[Lord of the Abyss]

Zero132132, we keep seeing stories where pharmasists deny women contraceptives in the name of religion; why would we believe better of doctors ?

As far as I can tell, the primary function of religion is the promotion and justification of evil and stupidity. When someone says they let religion guide their actions, I expect the results to be bad.

[Chmee]

However, the field of medicine involves caring for others, and therefore may attract spiritual people, Curlin said. "Medicine, at its core, is a moral practice," he noted.

For the record, let me just say ...

[mr friendly guy]

They have to actually be reasonably intelligent just to become doctors. You don't have to be a dumbfuck fundy to believe in god, you know. ...

Actually, one can be intelligent in other fields, but their brain switches off when it comes to religion. Some of my colleagues in medical school learnt enough about evolution to pass tests, but never acknowledge it even as they treat people with antibiotic resistant bacteria. Their anti evolutionary argument, was "arguing from incredulity", ie its seems (to me to be ) "ridiculous", therefore its bogus. What logical insight there.

The problem arises when the dumb fundie-like part over rides the intelligence part, eg doctors refusing to provide advice on abortions or contraceptions, where otherwise they provide good medical advise in other things.

The point I am trying to make is, one can be reasonably intelligent, does not have to be a fundie, but can have sufficient religious influence to make irrational and undesirable decisions.

[Duckie]

However, the field of medicine involves caring for others, and therefore may attract spiritual people, Curlin said. "Medicine, at its core, is a moral practice," he noted.

Someone already quoted this, but I feel the need to slam my head against the wall. People who believe the "Morality=Mythology" Bullshit need to be slapped repeatedly with a sufficiently nonlethal object.

As to being a Doctor, I probably would believe in God if I was one. You see all those people die one after the other, what else can you think but "I'm going soon, too. Lucky the magic man in the sky will save me from the inevitable!"? (Or since they 'really' wouldn't die, would it be "the evitable"?)

[BlkbrryTheGreat]

Fifty-five percent of respondents said that their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine

This statement is so vague that its almost useless since we don't know in what manner their practice is influenced; let alone whether or not the influence is a positive or negative one.

[Nova Andromeda]

Fifty-five percent of respondents said that their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine

This statement is so vague that its almost useless since we don't know in what manner their practice is influenced; let alone whether or not the influence is a positive or negative one.

--It says everything it needs to: belief in the supernatural is strongly influencing how doctors are making medical decisions.
-I don't even know why I bother explaining it to a worthless trolling palm fucker....

[Chmee]

Fifty-five percent of respondents said that their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine

This statement is so vague that its almost useless since we don't know in what manner their practice is influenced; let alone whether or not the influence is a positive or negative one.

--It says everything it needs to: belief in the supernatural is strongly influencing how doctors are making medical decisions.
-I don't even know why I bother explaining it to a worthless trolling palm fucker....

I'd have to agree it's pretty vague, it only asked whether it influenced how they practice, which could include how they respond to something like a patient asking them to pray with them -- something that might have no influence on choosing a course of treatment.

[Zero]

However, the field of medicine involves caring for others, and therefore may attract spiritual people, Curlin said. "Medicine, at its core, is a moral practice," he noted.

Someone already quoted this, but I feel the need to slam my head against the wall. People who believe the "Morality=Mythology" Bullshit need to be slapped repeatedly with a sufficiently nonlethal object.

As to being a Doctor, I probably would believe in God if I was one. You see all those people die one after the other, what else can you think but "I'm going soon, too. Lucky the magic man in the sky will save me from the inevitable!"? (Or since they 'really' wouldn't die, would it be "the evitable"?)

To religious people, mythology has everything to do with morality. This may also explain why they say that it affects the way they practice. I wouldn't say this article makes me skepticle or anything of doctors. I don't think that they'd try something stupid like a faith healing in place of proper medical practices, so why does it matter what they believe?

[Darth Raptor]

I'd have to agree it's pretty vague, it only asked whether it influenced how they practice, which could include how they respond to something like a patient asking them to pray with them -- something that might have no influence on choosing a course of treatment.

Or they could mean they put more effort into it and sacrifice more personally than they would otherwise. As it stands, I see no real cause for alarm.

[General Zod]

To religious people, mythology has everything to do with morality. This may also explain why they say that it affects the way they practice. I wouldn't say this article makes me skepticle or anything of doctors. I don't think that they'd try something stupid like a faith healing in place of proper medical practices, so why does it matter what they believe?

So long as it doesn't risk causing any undue harm to a patient as a direct result of beliefs, then it's rather moot. However, if a doctor suddenly decides he's not going to prescribe, say, contraceptive pills, because his beliefs say contraception is wrong, then there's an obvious problem.

[Zero]

To religious people, mythology has everything to do with morality. This may also explain why they say that it affects the way they practice. I wouldn't say this article makes me skepticle or anything of doctors. I don't think that they'd try something stupid like a faith healing in place of proper medical practices, so why does it matter what they believe?

So long as it doesn't risk causing any undue harm to a patient as a direct result of beliefs, then it's rather moot. However, if a doctor suddenly decides he's not going to prescribe, say, contraceptive pills, because his beliefs say contraception is wrong, then there's an obvious problem.

Not really. It isn't like he's the only doctor in the world. And this isn't something I've ever seen, so it isn't something I worry about. I figure that if a doctor has something against abortion or contraceptive pills, he probably won't choose a medical field that deals with such things. This article doesn't worry me.. it isn't like all religious people are irrational.

[General Zod]

Not really. It isn't like he's the only doctor in the world. And this isn't something I've ever seen, so it isn't something I worry about. I figure that if a doctor has something against abortion or contraceptive pills, he probably won't choose a medical field that deals with such things. This article doesn't worry me.. it isn't like all religious people are irrational.

It's not the point that there are other doctors about. The point is a doctor shouldn't let his personal beliefs interfere with his job. There -have- been documented cases of doctors refusing to prescribe contraceptive pills due to this bullshit before. If they disagree with this type of thing, when it's apart of their job requirements, then they should simply find another line of work as opposed to forcing their morality onto others. Naturally this is just one of the more obvious examples, but I'm sure there are others.

[Zero]

If there are doctors who let their religious BS interfere with their work in a harmfull way, then I concede, but in my personal experience, I've met none.

[General Zod]

If there are doctors who let their religious BS interfere with their work in a harmfull way, then I concede, but in my personal experience, I've met none.

So because you've never met any personally, they don't exist?

[Zero]

No, bust since I've never met any personally, or actually heard of any, it's simply not something I'm concerned about. Why should I be?

[Lord of the Abyss]

No, bust since I've never met any personally, or actually heard of any, it's simply not something I'm concerned about. Why should I be?

Perhaps because you aren't the only person in the universe ? If a doctor abuses his position and you never hear of it, the abuse still exists. You have a minimum moral obligation to at least care.

[Firefox]

No, bust since I've never met any personally, or actually heard of any, it's simply not something I'm concerned about. Why should I be?

So... you have absolutely no problem with doctors or pharmacists who refuse to prescribe or dispense contraception because of their religious beliefs on the grounds that you've never seen or heard of them before?